Participate in 2019's EUROPEANMOBILITYWEEK - Walk with us!

EUROPEANMOBILITYWEEK in 2019 focuses on "Safe Walking and Cycling" with the call-to-action ‘Walk with us!’. The campaign highlights the benefits that walking and cycling can have for our health, our environment and our bank balance. Active transport modes, such as walking and cycling, are emission-free and help to keep our hearts and bodies healthy. Cities that promote walking and cycling over private vehicles have also been found to be more attractive, with less congestion and a higher quality of life. For individual health benefits, studies show that cyclists on average live two years longer than non-cyclists and take 15% fewer days off work through illness, while 25 minutes of brisk walking a day can add up to 7 years to your life!

Any town or city worldwide is warmly invited to participate in EUROPEANMOBILITYWEEK. To take part in EUROPEANMOBILITYWEEK, each town or city must commit to one or more of the three criteria (see below), which must be held during the week of 16-22 September (the event is held on the same dates every year) to be eligible for registration. The EUROPEANMOBILITYWEEK campaign has been in action since 2002 and over the years has given people from all over Europe – and the rest of the world – the opportunity to take part in a wide campaign to promote and trial clean mobility and sustainable urban transport.

Only the official local authority of the participating town or city may register for EUROPEANMOBILITYWEEK. Please remember to register online as soon as possible (until 15 September)! Participants can register their actions and use the updated 2019 campaign resources, available from the EMW Campaign resources page to promote their activities. So, to be eligible, a town or city must implement, either: 

1) Activities during the week of the campaign:

The town or city can organise a week of activities that celebrate sustainable urban transport. The celebrations can take any form - from guided bike rides to street games to public lectures. As long as the activities promote public transport, cycling and walking, and other forms of sustainable mobility, they are valid.

2) Permanent measures:

Implement/promote permanent infrastructure that helps people make sustainable transport choices. These ‘permanent measures’ don’t need to be expensive: the aim is to show the commitment of the town or city to sustainable urban mobility and examples from previous years include;

• New or improved bicycle facilities
• Mobility Management
• Pedestrianisation
• Public transport services
• Traffic calming and access control scheme
• New forms of vehicle use and ownership
• Freight distribution

3) Holding a Car-Free Day

Alternatively, towns and cities can hold a Car-Free Day event by closing one or more streets to traffic and instead open them to pedestrians, cyclists and public transport. This should preferably happen on 22 September to mark your town or city’s link to World Car-Free Day. 

A MOBILITYACTION can happen at any time – and last any length of time (months, weeks – a day or even only a few hours). The activity can be city-led and involve large amounts of people, or organised by a children’s pre-school to promote and encourage active travel for the next generation – there really is no blueprint!

Any local authorities that commit to carrying out all 3 of the above criteria (i.e. implement a week of activities, permanent measures and a car-free day), will be designated as ‘Golden Participants’ and become eligible to apply for the EUROPEANMOBILITYWEEK Awards.

For full details on EUROPEANMOBILITYWEEK, please visit the website at http://www.mobilityweek.eu/

Register your actions by going to the MOBILITYACTIONS page to be counted as part of the campaign.